What does "flee" mean?

1. (to run away from danger) to leave a place very quickly because you are in danger or afraid. 2. (to vanish or pass quickly) to disappear or pass by very fast.

Is it correct to say "The family fleed the country during the war."?

No — say "The family fled the country during the war.". The past tense and past participle of 'flee' is 'fled', not 'fleed'.

flee

US //ˈfɫi// UK //flˈiː// flee

Irregular verb past fled past participle fled

1 to run away from danger (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

to leave a place very quickly because you are in danger or afraid.

to run away from a place or situation of perceived danger. Often used intransitively or with a direct object representing the location or threat.

Example

Thousands of people had to flee their homes when the fire started spreading.

Example

As the floodwaters rose, residents were forced to flee to higher ground, leaving most of their belongings behind.

Usage

The past tense is 'fled'.
- escape
- run away
- bolt
Pitfall

The family fleed the country during the war.

The family fled the country during the war.

The past tense and past participle of 'flee' is 'fled', not 'fleed'.
2 to vanish or pass quickly (v.)
C1 Advanced Literary

to disappear or pass by very fast.

to pass away or vanish rapidly; often used in literary contexts regarding time or abstract concepts.

Example

All my worries seemed to flee as soon as I saw the ocean.

Example

In the heat of the moment, his courage began to flee, replaced by a cold sense of dread.
- persist
- endure

Origin

From Middle English flen, from Old English flēon, from Proto-West Germanic fleuhan, from Proto-Germanic fleuhaną, from Proto-Indo-European plewk-, plew- (“to fly, flow, run”). Cognate with Dutch vlieden, German fliehen, Icelandic flýja, Swedish fly, Gothic 𐌸𐌻𐌹𐌿𐌷𐌰𐌽 (þliuhan). Within English, related to fly and more distantly to flow.